turn to
Britishverb
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Begin work, apply oneself to, as in Next he turned to cutting wood for the fire . This usage was first recorded in 1667.
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Refer to, consult, as in She turned to the help-wanted ads . This usage was first recorded in 1631.
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Appeal to, apply to for help, as in At a time like this one turns to one's closest friends , or We'll have to turn to the French consulate for more information . This usage was first recorded in 1821. Also see turn to good account .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Those in need of larger numbers still can then turn to various shorthands, such as Knuth arrows, devised in 1976 by the computer scientist Donald Knuth.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
In all professions, including the ones I’ve listed, trust is the one quality that will see you through the bad times and encourage people to turn to you if/when they’re in trouble.
From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026
“We must now turn to the work of recovery and accountability to ensure that this can never happen again,” said Tran, whose district includes Garden Grove, in a Thursday statement.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
When unemployment rises, more people turn to gig work.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
I turn to wait for Emma, but she’s running in the opposite direction.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
